Seasick
by sophiesinlove
Summary: Gabrielle falls ill on a ship, and Xena thinks she can fix it...Oneshot, Subtext! Xena/Gabrielle, short, sweet, T,


**Seasick**

Gabrielle lurched as the ship tipped again, swinging as yet another wave hit it.

_Gods!_ She thought, holding her mouth closed. _This is the worst it's ever been!_

She'd tried the pressure-point thing on her wrist that Xena had showed her, but it didn't work this time.

Tottering unsteadily, to the side of the ship, Gabrielle hung her head over, and puked out the last of her lunch. Here forehead was burning, sweat was pouring down her neck, and she cried out as her throat began to burn as well.

Within seconds, she felt a cool hand on her forehead, holding back her hair, and another on her back, stroking softly, comfortingly.

Xena leaned her own head over the railing, to look at Gabrielle.

"You okay there?" She asked, concern obvious in her eyes.

Gabrielle tried to speak, but couldn't, her throat was too dry and burned, so she nodded. Xena wasn't convinced.

"All right, Gabrielle, that's enough time on deck for you." Xena grunted, lifting Gabrielle up in her strong arms and carrying her below deck. Laying her on the bed, Xena muttered, "You have a high fever...Have you been applying pressure to the spot I showed you?"

Gabrielle nodded weakly.

"No change?"

Gabrielle shook her head, groaning as she realized she shouldn't have.

"Well...Gabrielle there is another pressure point, one that should only be used very rarely and in extreme situations. How much pain are you in?"

"I'm alright..." Gabrielle choked out, but Xena could hear the pain in her voice. "Okay. First thing you need to do, Gabrielle, is take those off," she gestured at Gabrielle's sweat-soaked clothes, "and get under the hides. I'll bring down some cool washcloths, all right?" Xena patted Gabrielle on the shoulder, and then climbed up the stairs to the deck.

Gabrielle tried, she really did, but she was much too weak to get her clothes of by herself. She succeeded in unbuttoning her skirt and pulling down the shoulder of her top before Xena came back.

"Well. That bad, huh?"

"It's fine, I can leave them-" she managed, before breaking into a fit of coughing and shivering.

Xena pressed her hand to the bard's chest, and felt her heart beating rapidly.

"Okay, Gabrielle, you're worse than I thought. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to take them off for you. Just lay still, okay?"

Hurrying, Xena unlaced Gabrielle's top, and pulled the covers up over her chest. She slid her hands beneath the covers, and yanked off Gabrielle's skirt.

"Can you turn over for me?" The warrior whispered. No answer. Gabrielle was nearly unconscious, so Xena stepped up the pace. More roughly than she would have liked, she turned Gabrielle over on her back, picking up one of the cold, wet cloths she had grabbed from the captain's cabin. Lightly sliding the cloth up and down the bard's back, Xena blew on Gabrielle's wet skin, hoping to cool her down. Her inflamed skin began to cool, on her back, so Xena moved further and further down, until she had passed Gabrielle's knees.

Spinning her back onto her back, Xena poured a little of the water she had brought down on Gabrielle's chest, and blew, bringing Goosebumps to her skin. Repeating this down Gabrielle's entire body, Xena picked up the mug she had also brought down.

"Gabrielle," She breathed, "Gabrielle you have to drink this. I can make you better, but it won't work unless you drink this!"

Gabrielle's eyes fluttered open. "Xena?" She whispered.

"Yes, Gabrielle, yes it's me. You need to drink this, to get better."

"I...can't move my...lips" She barely whispered.

Xena bit her lip. _Suck it up, _she told herself. _You have to do it, or Gabrielle could die!_

Xena drank deeply from the mug, swishing the foul tasting liquid around in her mouth, making sure her lips, her tongue, her teeth were all coated. She swallowed all but a small amount.

Placing one hand over Gabrielle heart, to monitor the beating, Xena pinched Gabrielle's nose, so that her mouth opened. Xena pressed her mouth to Gabrielle's and kissed her, making sure that their lips and tongues touched, transferring the liquid to Gabrielle. Finally, she let the last of the liquid she had been holding in her mouth trickle into Gabrielle's.

Pulling away, Xena stroked Gabrielle's throat, "Swallow Gabrielle, swallow!"

With a sharp intake of breath, she did swallow, her eyes opened wide, and she sat straight up.

"Xena!" She gasped. Xena pushed her gently back onto the bed.

"Careful, we're not out of the woods yet. I need you to do one more thing for me. Can you do that Gabrielle? Just one more thing?"

"I think...so"

"Alright. Sit up again. SLOWLY! That's right, now lean forward as far as you can. Good! Good, that's good! Now stay like that, all right? For me?"

Xena extended her fingertips to the small of Gabrielle's back. Moving in a series of complicated, intricate patterns, Xena rubbed and pressed and jabbed, moving ever lower.

"Alright. Alright? You're okay now, you're safe. See?" Xena talked as she clutched the gasping Gabrielle to her chest.

"Xena, it hu-It's stopped. I-It's over. It-I don't hurt anymore." She threw her arms around her warrior's neck. Xena rocked Gabrielle back and forth, clutching her, until she was able to stand again.

As Xena was re-dressing the still weak Gabrielle, Gabrielle leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks for saving me, Xena. I love you."

Xena smiled as she laced up Gabrielle's shirt. "I love you too, Gabrielle. Now let's go. Can you walk?"

"I'll be alright." Xena smiled as she walked up the stairs to the deck, Xena walking close behind her, one hand on Gabrielle's back. _She was safe now_, Xena thought, at the same time as Gabrielle thought, _I'm safe now._

The two women broke onto the deck, the sunlight streaming onto their smiling faces.


End file.
